LONE WOLF PUBLICATIONS

Golden-Path@email.msn.com

Steve Shaffer

Randy: You asked for a story that your readers might like. In my new book, the one that I am writing, I tell several stories that are fact. I have intermingled them with the characters of the book, who, for the most part are fictional. 'The stories are not. One such story I will relate to you here. It was told to me by an old Shivwits Indian who lived just outside of Gunlock, Utah near the Mormon Mountains. The Spanish trail came through that part of the country, and as a boy he heard many stories of their comings and goings. One such time, a large group of Spaniards came through the camp. They had been in battle and was in very poor shape. They had many wounded among them The Indians cleaned and dressed the wounded and for many days the Spaniards stayed in the Indian camps. They had several little horses that they kept a close guard on. The burros were heavy with packs when they came to the village. The Spaniards never left the packs alone for a moment. After the men were healed up, they headed east for the Grand River. But, when they got to the area now known as the Henry Mountains the Navajos attacked them killing many. Before the Spaniards were all killed off they managed to bury their cache near the deep river canyon west of the Henry's. The Indians knew where the cache was hid, but would never go near it. The old Indian told me that many people from the Navajo tribe had come to look for the treasure, but the Elders would never tell the younger ones the exact location. They always looked near the mountains. The old man told me that one thing always stuck in his mind. The Elders of his people always talked about the "Folded up earth!'. He asked me, "What do you think they meant"? It took me some time to think that one out, but then it dawned on me. They were talking about the "Water Pocket Fold", and the great canyon had to be the Escalante Canyon. I asked the old man what was the nature of this cache. He would only say that it took 17 little burros to carry it all. I went down there to look for sign. While there I talked to several old towns people in and around Escalante but no one every heard of any Spaniards in that area. Of course I never told anyone the story.

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